open flame, open heart
by Asteon
Summary: The one where Clarke was raised on the ground, and Lexa was raised on the Ark.
**Ark.**

Days moved slowly for Lexa, who had nothing to do but stare at the wall and read the same four books over and over again until one of the guards were nice enough to switch them. Even then, she had read them at least once in her life. It wasn't like the Ark had a huge supply of books on hand, being that paper was delicate and so easily ruined. The most important books were kept somewhere safe, away from grimy hands. The ones that were given out to read nearly came apart with the gentlest touches. Even the textbooks, the ones not on the tablets, had a nasty yellow tint to them now. But at least it gave her something to do.

Most prisoners on the Ark were able to walk and interact in a special room together, to stretch their legs and communicate with another human that didn't happen to be your security, but not her. She was special - the only one that happened to be in solitary confinement since those prisoners didn't last very long, floated nearly a couple of days later after being charged with their crimes. The guards were forbidden from taking her out of her cell, her cell even came with its own bathroom; socializing with her had been forbidden as well, by the Chancellor himself. She was a liability after all, and they couldn't have their little liability spewing words of candor to the prisoners who were allowed visitors once a week. They were allowed a chance to see their friends and family before judgement day, before they were either sent away with a slap on the wrist, or out into space. It was usually the later that the council members chose, having to set certain examples to their people.

So she was given no chance of seeing her friends before they were going to send her off. They didn't know how much she knew, not exactly, but they knew it was enough to send a frenzy. It was enough to get them kicked out of their comfy seats as members, that's for sure.

They couldn't have that.

So Lexa was locked in this sky box with little or nothing to do, dreaming of a time where she was free and in mere feet from her family and friends. They were the people who never left her thoughts, who occupied her mind constantly. This is why she's here, playing along with her lack of freedom.

As long as they were left out of this mess, she'll be okay; there are enough demons lurking in the corners, and Lexa wasn't going to let them anywhere near them. Not when she was shouldering them all as best she could, not when this satisfied the council members.

The door slid open and her guard detail stepped in, a somber look stretched on his face. He was young, a couple of years older than her, perhaps. It did not seem right that he was the one that would be doing this job, sending kids off to their deaths.

"Prisoner 319," he said, his hands behind his back. "It's time."

"Time for what?"

He cocked an eyebrow, not needing to answer since he knew she knew the answer to her own question.

Lexa swallowed the lump in her throat, standing up from her bed. "Who knew they were actually going to do this." She reached over to the one item she was allowed to keep: a picture. They were rare, and impossible to get the equipment to take them, really, but she pulled a few strings to get one. It was a picture of her and her family, before they were both floated. Anya was there as well, because she was just as much her family as her blood-related was never a time where she didn't remember Anya standing beside her, growing up in the shit-hole of a box.

It was now her lifeline, because now - since she accepted this mission - there was a large chance that she wasn't going to see her again. This had to work, she had to see her again; she had to save everyone on this ship.

"Alright, let's go."

Lexa followed the young guard without a single backwards glance.

She wasn't going to miss that cell, that was for sure.

/

They were quickly escorted to the dropship, most glancing at their neighbor nervously - none actually gaining the courage to straight out ask the other guards what was going on in fear that they would be floated first. Why were all of the prisoners being taken to a ship? It made no sense to them, yet it made perfect sense. One would think they were all dying now, in one massive jump, or they were being sent to the Ground. Either one seemed like a death sentence, and they did not know which they would prefer.

The last of them were finally escorted inside. That left Lexa with her own personal guard outside the ship, and when she was starting to get a little impatient, a familiar figure appeared from around the corner. The guard straightened his back in respect to his leader while Lexa silently glared at him.

"Lexa," he nodded in her direction, "your people thank you for volunteering. This will be the most important mission anyone will ever receive, and you're going to be the one in charge of it."

"I didn't have much of a choice. It was either this, or death." Lexa deadpanned.

"Yes, well, the fact that you have picked this rather than a quick, airless death means you know how important this mission is for us. Be proud Lexa, this will save thousands." The guards from within the dropship started to fall out, moving to stand behind their Chancellor.

Jaha reached in the bag he brought and took out a metal band, the insides glowing a bright blue. The Chancellor himself reach over and secured the metal bracelet on her wrist with a click, the bracelet humming to life.

"You were already told what this is," his index finger tapped against it. "Make sure the prisoners don't take them off, we must know if the ground is survivable again. As soon as you are secured-"

"I know what I need to do." The Chancellor pursed his lips at the interruption but decided to forego the scolding for later, and instead nodded briskly.

"Good, you may go find your seat now."

Lexa left without another word, walking into the ship and ignoring everyone's heavy stares. She was by far the oldest on the ship, one who should have been floated weeks ago for the crimes she committed - not these prisoners knew what she did, or when she was charged of her crimes, but they knew it was unusual for someone over eighteen to be on this ship. They did not need to know that she traded her life for a chance at a new one on the ground, for a chance that the people on the Ark could keep on living.

Whether they deserved to get another chance at living after abusing their powers for so long was another matter entirely, one she did not care to think about at the moment.

She sat down in her designated seat on the ship and buckled in. Lexa leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, ignoring the whispers and nervous chatter around the room as the door finally closed shut. The ship hummed to life, the lights flickering on.

The screen turned on at once and the Chancellor's face appeared, but she ignored him, already knowing what he was going to say - what he was going to explain to these children who were simply expendable to him.

There was no way she could have known that there was another person who had slipped into the ship at the very last second and sat down at a conveniently empty seat, meant for another prisoner who was still in his cell, knocked out and left undisturbed.

"Prisoners of the Ark, you've been given a second chance…. "

/

Anya was staring out of one of the windows in Farm Sation, staring down at Earth to be specific. She didn't normally cover this station, but ever since Lexa had been locked up under treason charges of the Ark, they had placed her back down at the very bottom where the new recruits tended to get placed under. Not that she minded, really - she knew these people and had grown up with most of them. They were like her second family. She was glad to be placed with her people, especially since they were nervous about the announcement Chancellor Jaha was going to present tomorrow morning.

The last time there was an announcement, there was an order to ration even more of their food. Which meant it mostly applied to the lowest class, including Farm Station. They were suffering enough as it was, they couldn't afford for this announcement to be something even worse.

But Lexa was her priority right now, and they were refusing all her demands on seeing her - Anya was still not permitted entry. It had been two weeks since she had last seen her sister, and she was starting to get frustrated and concerned. They couldn't do this, refuse entry during visiting hours - even though they weren't technically related, they were still sisters in every way that counted.

She was off in ten minutes and Jaha was going to get another visit from her, and this time, she wasn't going to leave until she got answers.

"Anya!"

Anya relaxed slightly, the tension leaving her shoulders as she turned around to face her girlfriend. She frowned deeply when she saw her expression as she rushed over, dodging people as she went. Her cheeks were red from the exertion, tension filled her lithe body.

"Raven, what's wrong?" asked Anya, "What are you doing down here?"

"Something's happening," she said as soon as she stopped in front of her, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. "I heard council members talking about it in the hallway outside my office. It's happening today, Anya, and soon."

Anya placed her hands on her shoulders, trying to rub the tension out of them. "Slow down, what's happening?"

"They are sending an expedition to the ground, to see if it's survival again."

"What…– How is that possible? That's suicide!"

"Anya," Raven choked out. "Lexa's going to be on that mission."

Anya's stomach dropped and her knees trembled. Now it was Raven who was holding her up.

The side of the Ark trembled and they swayed with it, and their gaze immediately falling to the window. They were just in time to watch as a small ship was launched into space, its destination obvious. Apparent.

Earth.

It felt like Anya's whole world was crumbling around her.

/

 **Ground.**

"Arling," Clarke said sternly as he watched the child trip over his own feet. He scrambled up, his attention now on his teacher. He didn't try to hide the pain that fall caused him. "I told you not to be too aggressive today, your leg needs to heal properly.

"Sha, Heda ."

"Watch from the sidelines, you're done for today." The child nodded, knowing better than to question her authority. The other Natblida were still training, but she could already tell that their attention was elsewhere, on her and Arling. She glared in their direction, watching in satisfaction as they got motivated once again. They didn't want to run more laps than they had too, especially after she made them run ten more laps yesterday when they were misbehaving.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Titus walking up the path towards her and the little warriors, with a look she was much too used to. He stopped to take a quick glance at the children before walking towards her again. This time his expression was much more composed - the children always had that effect on him, them - and stopped just beside her, waiting for permission to speak.

"Titus."

"Heda," he bowed his head respectfully. "I have word from King Roan of Azgeda. He has agreed to your terms."

"Yet you don't seem content, why?" Clarke finally turned to face her advisor, watching as his jaw clench. "He wants something." It was a statement, not a question. Of course the King demanded something in return for the peace she set up for her people.

"What does the King want?"

"His brother's exile to be annulled. It seems he wants him back home."

Clarke nearly snapped, her hand immediately resting on the hilt of her sword as if the man in question was standing right in front of her again, ready to be sliced by her weapon. And this time she would not hesitate to kill him.

"That natrona does not deserve to have a home," she snarled, "not after leaving so many families without their own. If it were up to me he would be dead and left out in the forest to rot."

"I told him that and more, Heda."

"The only reason he still lives is because I needed Roan in this coalition, it would be incomplete without Azgeda. While his brother may be weak, Roan is an excellent king. It's a shame he has a small weakness for the murderer he still calls his brother."

"We could have sent an assassin after him, regardless of your words, Heda. The King would not know otherwise."

"I keep my promises, Titus. I will not go back on my word, not now." Though Clarke had thought about it, many times actually, yet she still never sent out word for his death. She was just hoping the forests would kill him off. After all, he wasn't much of a warrior. He was a coward too scared of his own shadow. He wanted them to join the coalition, but as soon as she said no to his continued advances, he grew confused and angry.

One night together and he thought she was his.

But the Commander belonged to no one.

Clarke remembered him to be honorable, especially when they were younger, but growing up in a harsh land changes a person. But that still doesn't excuse the fact that he slaughtered a whole village in attempt to believe he was strong and deserving of the title 'prince'.

In his words, they were bandits and thieves. In their eyes, they were family: husbands, wives, children. There shouldn't be any excuses to why he wasn't dead. But because of the fragile situation, and who his big brother is - he was spared. Blood did not have blood that day and it outraged most and caused some of her people's loyalty to shift. That was weak in their eyes.

Clarke had been hoping the forest had swallowed him whole already, yet sadly he still lives.

"Tell Roan that if he wants to talk more about these terms, and of his brother, then I expect him to be at the meeting in two days instead of an ambassador. We will talk more about his brother's future then, and only then." Titus stared at Clarke with intelligent eyes, trying to delve into her brilliant mind. He should know by now that he wouldn't find anything that would leave him satisfied, instead he was left with even more questions - as per usual. Clarke would make things known in time when she was ready.

"Sha, Heda."

Titus was about to turn and go send out the message for his commander, when she called out his name again. He stared at her, his eyes already showing truth and acknowledgement for was already going to happen - this time, Titus could read her eyes; they were distinguishable and filled with such intensified enthusiasm that he caught himself from smiling.

They had talked about this for years, ever since Clarke was chosen to succeed and lead their people. These talks had increased in the past few months, and they both knew what would happen soon. Clarke could feel it, vibrating just under her skin with a reminder that she is never truly alone. It made her fingers twitch, anxious nerves rumbling throughout her body.

"Make sure the clans know to be ready, it's going to happen soon and I cannot have them screwing things up for us. Not now, not after all these years of waiting."

Titus nodded in understanding, and walked away with his head held high in pride. It was a long time coming, this fateful day his ancestors had been drilling into his head for generations. He was supposed to pass it on to his kids, and his kids were supposed to pass it along to theres, but it was happening sooner than expected. It was now his job to serve his Commander well, and help her get through the next couple of months without unwelcome interruptions.

They were finally going to have peace, real peace, soon, and he was honored to have a role in the task that would soon achieve it.

He was going to make his ancestors, and the past Commanders, proud.

/

They landed quicker than expected and a lot faster; it made for a very hard landing, with the lights flickering on and off until they stayed off permanently. Two of their people died in the crash, either their hearts were too weak, or the the force of their heads hitting the wall did them in. They didn't deserve death either way, and it concerned Lexa how easily the others accepted their deaths, only having left their seats to check their pulse and declare them dead.

It was doubtful that anyone knew them well, from their brief reaction to the blood stained on the walls along with those twisted limbs below it.

Life on the Ark, where any illegal action could sentence you to an airless death, seemed to have already hardened their hearts.

Lexa was one of the first to unbuckle her seatbelt, while the others were still talking amongst themselves, questioning who should be the first to go. As soon as Lexa stood, everyone else began to follow her steps around the ship, in a small exploration. She was the first to reach the dropship doors; she did not open them, not just yet.

"Want to explain why you're the only one over eighteen who's on this ship?" a voice called from behind her, as they made their way down the ladder. "I thought only the delinquents were being sent to their deaths."

"I'm not the only one on board who's over eighteen, actually." Lexa turned around, looking at the sea of familiar faces who stared at her curiously once again. The man who spoke, John Murphy she remembered, was near the front with a small smirk on his narrow face. Lexa turned her attention to the man she saw sneak onto this deathtrap, standing with his arm around a girl and a satisfied smirk plastered on his face.

"Isn't that right, Blake?"

"Couldn't have you being the only hero on this ship, Forrester."

And with that, the girl in his arms rolls her eyes and steps forward and around Lexa. Before Lexa could warn her of the radiation outside these protected walls, she pushes the level and the dropship doors promptly opened with a hiss.

Lexa had to cover her eyes from the bright lights that met her, her body not used to the natural rays of the sun. That was the first thing she noticed, the second: the air. The air was fresh; indescribable. Her feet moved on her own and before she knew it, everyone was standing at the edge of the ship, looking out at the green land in front of her. Oh, how it was green - not even their science based plants could ever get to this shade of green.

Octavia Blake was the first one to take that first courageous step - her boots pounding on the dropship door before jumping on solid ground, that wasn't made out of metal, for the very first time. Lexa didn't need to see her face to know how big the smile was, she could only guess it was just as big as her own.

"We're back, bitches!"

The army of delinquents stomped forward one by one, jumping onto the ground and releasing an excited cry into the air. Dramatics followed with them rolling on the ground, hugging trees and then hugging each other in a fashion that wasn't exactly platonic. In a sense, everyone was happy in a way they haven't been in a very long time. Being up in space, where there were many restrictions and laws placed that supposedly placed to protect them, it was very hard to stay happy for long periods of time. Something was always changing, and it always had them looking out the windows down on Earth in hopes that maybe one day they'll reach it.

Earth was the dream. It had always been the dream.

They were just lucky enough to be in the generation that reached it first; they were told they would never see it, but here they are now, on the ground and smelling air so fresh you could taste it on your tongue.

Lexa kicked a charred rock from the ground, amazed when she saw the wet soil underneath it. They wouldn't be able to plant here, grow food around this ship because of their rocky landing, but in a couple of months or so it would be possible. She was already thinking about their next step forward, on how they would survive on the ground until the Ark's council members finally made a decision on whether on not they wanted to join them. Not that they had much of a choice, in the end.

If the dropship didn't malfunction during reentry, maybe they could already be talking to the Ark on their next plan of action. But it did and she had no choice but to make the first decision, and then look over the ship later when they had fresh food in their bellies and enough tents that they didn't need to pair up in fours. She was lucky she had planned for this somehow.

Hopefully soon Anya would be on the ground with them, and then all would be good again and her family would be complete. All charges on her, along with the hundred, would be dropped altogether. All she needed to do was wait and make sure her people came down to this small group already starting towards their first hope of surviving again.

Lexa was the first to go back into the dropship, taking one of the bags that would help them through their journey to Mount Weather, where their supplies were supposed to be located. If she reached Mount Weather, then they will be able to survive for the next couple of months - maybe even a couple years depending on how big it the facility was and how much they stocked. If it was even standing, too - before they would need to start to worry; by then, hopefully they had figured out how to survive on the ground.

As she left the ship again, she pulled out the map that would lead her to Mount Weather, opening it and examining what was inside. Thank god for Earth Skills or else she would have had no clue on how to read the map. She took out a broken piece of pencil and began to mark where she thought they had landed. Lexa looked up, inspecting her area and over the trees and at the surrounding mountains. The first thing that stood out was the giant mountain, a familiar picture she had seen before from a guard when he was explaining her assignment.

Lexa had a sinking feeling that this assignment was a lot more complicated than she had anticipated, because not only does she have to babysit a hundred children, she has to now find her way across this unknown forest and all its hidden obstacles.

Of course the council would manage to drop her on the wrong fucking mountain.

"Fuck," she muttered angrily to herself. She calculated that it was going to take at least a day and a half to walk over and back, and that's if they didn't come across any surprises. It's possibly been nearly a century since the last person set foot in that forest, who knows what kind of creatures still lurked on Earth. If there were any creatures at all still left alive.

"What's wrong?"

Lexa turned and nearly smiled at Monty, another person she had grown up with on the Ark. She was a couple of years older than him, so they never really socialized passed the occasional hellos, but she always knew he was gentle and kind. He did not deserve to be on this mission, especially not for that small crime that got him sent to a cell.

She had been given a roster a week before departure so she could memorize all of the names of the people that would be on the ship, and she had been saddened to see his name and picture on it. At least she knew he wouldn't cause much trouble down here, in fact - he would be a huge help in rebuilding civilization.

"See that mountain over there?" She pointed over at one of the biggest mountains in sight, and waited for him to nod. "We were supposed to land near there; that's where all of our supplies are located."

"Supplies can wait," Jasper, Monty's best friend, said as he overheard their conversation and putting an arm around both of their shoulders. Lexa glared and shrugged him off her, though it did not seem to phase him. "Let's enjoy the fact that we're here, on the ground! This is the dream people."

"Say that in a few hours when you're hungry and unable to eat because we have no supplies to either catch it, or make it." Lexa rolled her eyes when his expression dropped. "We don't even have water."

"If you care about food so much, why don't you go get us those supplies then?" Lexa hadn't heard Bellamy Blake silently listening in on their conversation, either. He glared at her, a small smirk on his face. Octavia was at his side, curiously looking over at the map Lexa had placed on the tree. "You're here to help us, aren't you?"

"I'm here to make sure sure nothing happens to you, not coddle you." Lexa retorted. "The only way we survive these next few weeks is if we work together. Since we don't know what's out in those woods, we need to take a group over to Mount Weather to get our supplies."

"If you're so worried about our well-being, then you can go on this little mission. You are, after all, the only qualified guard on the ground." His eyes light up, his smile growing. "Or should I said ex -guard."

He was still angry over the fact that Lexa got the opportunity to be placed in security detail over him; he was sadly stuck with janitorial duties, which Lexa could admit wasn't suited for him. If there were other openings, she would have gladly worked along side him. But right now, he was bitter and stubborn and Lexa did not want to deal with this man child at the moment.

"I'll go with you," Monty piped in before Lexa could retaliate, causing Jasper's jaw to drop. She was even surprised by the kind gesture. He quickly regained his composure and agreed to also go since he didn't want his best friend to outshine him in front of "pretty girls". What surprised everyone else, including Bellamy, is that Octavia quickly agreed to go as well.

"Absolutely not."

"Sorry Bell, but down here you don't own me."

Octavia reached down, snagged the map before walking into the woods without looking back at her brother. Lexa nearly smiled at her little act of rebelling, ignoring the glare that was sent her way - as if it were her fault.

"If anything happens to her, I'll have your head on a pike. Got that, Forrester ?" Then Bellamy pushed past her, shoving her shoulder away from him. That had her eyes rolling, because even though she knew Bellamy had a good heart - you could clearly see it when he was around his sister - he can still be a total ass.

"Come on, if we want to get there before nightfall we need to leave now."

"Yes, sir. Commander, sir!"

Lexa sighed at the familiar name, hating that it originated only because she best the actual Commander of the guard in hand-to-hand combat. It had gotten her assigned to the bottom of the detail for a month (conveniently around the latrines), but it was totally worth it in the end to see him limping around the corridors for a week.

/

Clarke was sitting on her throne, a man kneeling before her with pleading eyes, when Titus stumbled into the room with a scrawl plastered on his face when he saw that she was not alone. He bowed his head and apologized before telling the guards to take the man outside while he conversed with their Commander. Clarke sat with a tilt of her head, sighing ever so slightly before crossing her legs as she watched her subjects leave in a hurry. When the door finally closed behind them, she lifted an eyebrow and gestured for her attendant to speak.

"Forgive the intrusion, but I have been given word that an object has fallen into Trikru land this morning. Right outside of the borders of TonDC."

That gained Clarke's attention and she leaned forward, more interested in the conversation than before. Her lips curved.

"Where did it come from?"

"The sky."

/

It was a two headed deer that reminded them that they still knew so little of this planet, a reminder that there were many dangers out in this world that could probably kill them just as easy as flinging someone into space. It caused their chatter, which up till now had been pretty high, to still. The only sounds were of birds and rickety bugs. And a distant howl that sent shivers down their spines.

It turned their brilliant surroundings into an eerie mess.

They were now stopped in front of a large stream, debating on how they should cross it. Neither of them knew how to swim, since there weren't any large bodies of water up in space, and it seemed to get deeper the further out you swam. Either they learn how to swim in a matter of seconds, or they keep walking along the stream in hopes that there would be a bridge of some sort that would get them across. It didn't help the situation either that they could see a giant serpent swimming close by, as if anticipating their arrival.

They had to stop Octavia from jumping into the water, before they even saw the beast. Octavia now looked less than eager to go anywhere near the water.

"How should we cross?"

Lexa blinked away her thoughts, turning around to see them staring at her expectantly. Given that she held the map, they seemed to have unconsciously elected her as their leader.

They were at the edge of the forest, on a small mountain of rocks as they calculated their next step. Looking down either side showed no other way of crossing, no matter how many times she kept checking as if a bridge would magically appear.

"We either swim one at a time, keeping watch on that beast," she kept talking, over the complaining voices that voiced their disapproval of that specific plan, "or we find another way across."

"Why don't we just walk along the stream and hope to find a way across?"

"That might take all day, and we shouldn't be moving at dark. We'll just end up getting lost." Lexa shook her head, though Octavia's idea was by far the better option. That beast did not look friendly.

"How about this?" Lexa tilted her head as she watched Monty reach for a vine attached to one of the many tall trees around them. He pulled at it hard and it didn't break or budge. It reminded her of the children's movie they used to watch on the Ark before the children were old enough to watch the different, more mature movies they had on record.

Lexa took it within her hands and tried it herself. It could work, though they would need to jump off perfectly if they didn't want to hit the water. The trees were tall, but they weren't that tall. The vine would only get them so far before they needed to make a split-second decision. There was a small possibility that she would have to jump the rest of the way, or fall back.

"Alright, it's worth a shot." Lexa began to move back, readying her jump before she could talk herself out of it. "I'll go first, test to see if it'll swing across. Watch the waters for the serpent."

"Why do you get to go first?" Jasper blurted. Lexa stared at him, lifting an eyebrow until he gulped and seemed to shrink back. "Alright, yeah. You can go first."

"That's what I thought."

Without another word, before any of them, even herself, tried to talk some sense into this ridiculous idea, she ran with the vine tightly wrapped around her hands and jumped.

Lexa forced down the urge to scream as she moved swiftly over the water, her stomach tight with fear. Surprisingly, she didn't need to jump the last few feet, her feet barely able to touch the other side comfortably. Lexa still had to push all her weight forward so she didn't fall backwards accidentally, but she made it across safely. She could hear the cheers coming from her friends, her heart still beating rapidly in her chest from the jump and her ears ringing from adrenaline.

Lexa sighed out in relief and slumped her shoulders in a relaxed victory for herself. She turned around, a wry smile on her face.

Lexa threw the vine back to the other side, grateful that Octavia was there to catch it because the boys were still too excited to pay attention to it. Jasper had his chest puffed out, and she couldn't hear him, but she could already tell that he nominated himself to go next. It caused her lips to turn further at their antics, and just when she was going to call out words of advice-

A body slammed into her. Powerful enough that the air was forced out of her lungs.

Her shoulder hit the slab of rock at her feet, hard, and her head was knocked against it. The lights flickered off before swimming back into focus, her vision blurry from the tears that were beginning to form. Her ears began to ring again and she tried to shake it away while she attempted to breathe through the pain - mouthfuls of desperate air made its way back into her lungs, and she no longer felt like death was approaching.

That was until she realized what was still on top of her.

The weight pressed against her shifted on her back and reality came crashing down, a flash of panic rolled through her body and she suddenly got cold. Without thinking of her actions, her training on the Ark causing her to react before anything else; she pulled her leg back and kicked out as hard as she could in an attempt to push her assailant off.

Lexa rolled onto her back, glancing at the body that huffed in annoyance and got back on its feet effortlessly. The kick did not seem to faze this unknown creature. In fact, it looked like Lexa flustered it.

Her eyes widened at the alarming figure in front of her, wearing thick layers of clothing of animal fur and leather, pads that seemed to be made into armor, and a terrifying mask made out of animal bones. Brown intelligent eyes glared at her from under the mask, their hand reaching for the dagger strapped at it's side. They had a dangerous looking spear strapped to their back, but they didn't bother to reach for it.

But that wasn't the point; that was not was took the majority of her thoughts.

Her heart hammered in her chest and it became very difficult to breath again. Because she realized there was now something much more important than finding food and water for survival. Her people would now need to survive in the presence of another group of people altogether: A group of beings who seemed to have already adapted to the dangers on the ground.

They were not alone. There were other people already living on the ground, and they were potentially more dangerous than anything they could face stuck on the Ark.

"Chon yu bilaik? "

That thing , was a woman. Lexa could tell from her voice.

"I...I-I don't understand."

The woman was confused, her face shifting under that mask could only be described as puzzled.

"Chon yu bilaik?" She asked again, taking a step forward. "Haukom yu kamp raun hir? "

Lexa scooted farther away from her, taking a look at her friends who were shouting out to her. To run. Why did she need to run?

Her head whipped around to the woman, looking behind her at the object now propelled into a tree. Another spear.

Did she protect her from the spear? Or had she been the one that tried to hit her with it?

"I can't understand you," Lexa said, more loudly. Her voice didn't shake this time. "I don't know this language."

"You speak like a warrior, yet you don't act like one." She took another step, her eyes narrowing. "Why is that?"

From the corner of her eye she saw something moving in the forest towards them, her heart still hammering loudly in her ears. She didn't know how many of them there were out there, waiting for them, but she couldn't have them going after her friends. Lexa didn't know if they were more of them going towards them.

So she did the only thing she could do in this situation, she turned and shouted, "run!" at her friends and hoped they got the message before she twisted her leg back and kicked as hard as she could. Again.

She hit her target, her foot hitting the woman in the knee hard enough that she yelped out in pain. She fell to her knees with a grunt.

Lexa didn't wait for her to get back up. She scrambled off the ground and ran into the forest; the pain in her shoulder was excruciating but she swallowed it down, her mind on only one thing: escaping.

In the opposite direction of her friends.

Lexa could only hope they ran the other towards camp to warn the others. Not that they had any weapons to stop any attack, even up against sticks and rocks, but they needed to know that they were not alone and get ready to leave or fight their way out of another situation.

As Lexa ran deeper into the foliage, trying her best to not trip over any roots and bushes, the harder it was remembering the objects around her for when she needed to turn back and get to the dropship. Everything looked the same, everything looked so dangerous to her. They were all potential hiding spots for these Grounders, each covered in shadows; many holes to jump out of. It just made her run faster, despite her lungs growing on fire at each powerful pump of her legs for an extra burst of energy.

It seemed like hours before she stumbled upon an opening in the trees, light startling bright against the contrast of the forest. She headed towards it with a new spark of hope. Lexa hoped for Mount Weather. She was told there would be weapons stocked inside; Jaha warned her about them, and how she needed to be careful that not one of the delinquents handled them. Lexa was potentially only suppose to go for the shelter and the provisions. If she could get there first, then maybe she had a chance against this Grounder woman.

She should have known that small glimpse of hope wouldn't last very long, because for the second time that day, she was tackled to the ground with the same amount of force. However this time was slightly different, the figure was livid. Lexa could feel it rolling off the woman in heeps. She could feel it as she was being pushed onto the ground, from the fingers that tightened against her and made sure she couldn't get back up.

Lexa tried to wiggle out of her hold but her arms were already locked behind her, a strong hand holding them in place that it was almost painful. Kicking her legs were useless, and she could tell that the woman was getting more frustrated at her movements as the fingers holding her tightened. She winced from the nails that were digging into her wrist, and it brought shock-waves of pain up her arms.

"Stop fighting!"

Breathing heavily Lexa finally slumped in defeat, her pants picking up the dry dirt and throwing it into the air. She let her cheek rest against the cool dirt.

The woman leaned her weight forward and Lexa stiffened, grinding her teeth together when she felt the woman's lips on the edge of her ear. Her heart was pounding, thoughts of death racing through her mind. Lexa couldn't die now, not like this - not when there were so many people depending on her.

"Are you trying to get us both killed?" the woman finally spoke, nearly hissing at Lexa.

"You're were the one chasing me."

"Are you an idiot? Jok , I was trying to save you ."

That made Lexa pause, her mind trying to scramble for an explanation. She found none that made any sense. Nothing on the ground made sense .

"Get off me."

"Not until you promise not to run again," she retorted, "this time I won't chase after you. I'll just let you get killed."

"You were the only one who seemed to want to kill me." Lexa nearly struggled underneath her but stopped when the fingers tightened once more.

"Do you know nothing? This is maun territory; this is cursed land, you're going to get yourself killed."

Lexa felt the woman relax against her, the anger getting out of her system. It didn't take much thinking, again, for her to wiggle out of the hold and throw her elbow back. Her elbow hit her mask with a crunch and she grimaced, because it fucking hurt . The body moved off her, and when she turned, the mask was off her face and on the ground beside her.

She scrambled away from her, her back hitting a tree.

Before she knew it the figure was upon her once again, this time her hand wrapped around her throat. Intense brown eyes bore into her own, her jaw working away the kinks from the blow.

"Hit me again and I'll rip your throat out."

But Lexa wasn't paying attention, too busy staring at the woman under the mask. She was captivating; beautiful. Her skin was a darker shade, maybe a tad darker than usual from the exertion. She had a scar on her bottom lip, and a tattoo that started from her neck and disappeared under her shirt. Black paint, maybe coal, was sweared around her eyes before curving slightly until it stopped at her hairline. Her dark hair was pulled back and out of her face, small braids that had once been pulled back had now escaped and clung to her neck in a sweaty embrace.

When Lexa didn't move another inch, the woman relaxed, her hand still on her throat but not as threatening. Gulping, she felt the muscles working on the woman's arm. Lexa clenched her teeth, fighting back any form of sarcastic comment.

"Why did you save me?

That wasn't what she wanted to ask, in fact - that was the last thing she wanted to ask this unknown stranger. She wanted nothing more than to ask her how she and her people have survived on the ground - how she was surviving now - when her people had thought it uninhabitable for a near century. She wanted nothing more than to understand why she spoke another language, or why she chased after her if she apparently savedher. There was so much on her mind that she blurted out the first coherent sentence that assembled first.

Lexa needed to know if there were more out there, and if they were civilized like her people. Or if they were going to just keep throwing sticks in their directions until they either killed them all or left their land, permanently; because that's what it was, Lexa realized. This was their land - and they were trespassing.

It didn't take a genius to understand that. Hell, it didn't take a rocket scientist like Raven to understand.

"You are on forbidden land," she said. "You're lucky I was there at the time. You would have been staked if you had gone any closer. My people have orders to kill anyone who passes into maun territory."

"Mound?"

Her lips twisted up in disgust, her fingers twitched on her throat. "Maun . Mountain territory."

Lexa's eyes lit up. It couldn't have been that much of a coincidence, could it? Her hand automatically flew to the woman's arm, ignoring the way she flinched back. Probably expecting another hit to the face.

"Are you talking about Mount Weather?"

The woman's lips curled in a near snarl, nodding slowly. "Yes, we are in their land. It's been cursed for years." She tilted her head. "How do you not know of this? They have been our enemies for centuries."

"My people are looking for Mount Weather," she ignored the question. "It has supplies that will help us survive and maybe contact the rest of my people, so they can come down here."

The woman's eyes darkened. "There is nothing left of the Mountain; therefore, your people should not be anywhere near it. You would be breaking the truce and you would have the Commander's army outside your camp within a fortnight."

Lexa's stomach dropped, not understanding most of it, but understanding enough. What did she mean there was nothing left there? So she asked.

"The Commander felled the Mountain," she said proudly, her chest puffing out slightly. "She did what no other Commander before her was able to do, she slayed the Mountain and its people. Our people are finally free and able to live at peace once more."

People .

"There were people living in the Mountain?" Why didn't the Ark know about this sooner? They might have been able to come to the ground much sooner than they had realized. Her parents might not have been floated for simple crimes, and she didn't have to watch as each of her fellow brothers and sister in Farm Station fall victim to a virus outbreak. No medicine meant no chance of getting past the fevers and constant vomiting. No chance of survival.

It had been the worst outbreak they had seen in fifty years. And of course they couldn't afford to give the poor people in good old Farm Station medicine, the ones that grew their crops and filled their bellies with food. The privileged never understood their pain.

"Yes, monsters lived in that Mountain." She removed her hand, moving it to brush back her hair back. There was a faint scar on her neck. "They took my people, bled them dry, and threw them out so the Reapers could finish them off. They killed hundreds, thousands of innocent kru .

The Commander did what needed to be done. She broke down the Mountain, and slayed the beasts that laid within. She saved our people."

They tortured them, bled them dry.

That didn't sound like people she wanted to be anywhere near her own - and yet they were this close to their doors, thinking that it would be able to help them survive. In reality, they could have been slaughtered right along with the Grounders. With that idea out of the bag, how were they going to survive long enough for the Ark and its supplies to come down for them? For all they knew, it could take weeks, maybe even months for them to finally make their trip down.

They didn't even have that many more months left of oxygen left on the Ark, either. Maybe some to last them three months if they used it well.

"You're shaking."

Lexa looked up, startled. With her worrying about her people, she had forgotten about the stranger for a brief second. Her eyes were wide, her anger replaced with slight concern. How was she going to explain this to her, that they needed Mount Weather to survive?

"My people," Lexa swallowed back the lump in her throat, "we're not from around here." The woman snorted, giving her a look that clearly screamed, "You think? "

"We're not used to this land, we thought Mount Weather was empty and we thought it would have supplies to help us survive until our core group arrived with everyone else. We only have supplies to last us a week."

"Your people are stupid for sending so few of you out here by yourself without any weapons, especially on Trikru land."

Lexa bit her lip, because should she reveal more about herself and her people? On one hand it could explain why she knew so little, but on the other….Well, Lexa didn't want to think about that right now.

"We didn't know there were anymore people on this land, either."

"You cannot possibly expect me to believe that. My people have lived on this land for many, many years." Her eyes narrowed. "What clan are you from, and where do you come from?"

Lexa licked her lips, her body vibrating with a sudden need to run. But that didn't very well work the first time. Her lands tightened into fists, ready to fight if need be. Neither did fighting.

"We're not from the ground," Lexa said finally, watching as the woman froze in shock. Her eyes narrowed, confused. "We fell from the sky."

"The sky?" The woman muttered to herself, deep in thought. Lexa started inching away from her, even if the woman was still practically on top of her. She flinched back when the woman stood up without another word. Her hand reached down and took hold of Lexa's arm, pulling her up effortlessly like she weighed nothing. Lexa noticed that she was a couple of inches taller than her, and her structure much bigger - it was no wonder Lexa was thrown around like a rag doll.

"I will take you to the Commander, she'll know what to do with you and your people." She then began to drag her away from the Mountain, towards the river once more. Her hand was tight around her wrist and she didn't dare pull away.

"Wait…-Wait!" They did not slow, but the woman turned her head around, glaring. "My people will worry, I can't just leave them."

"I don't think you understand your situation, you don't have a choice. You will come with me to meet the Commander, or I will mark you as an intruder and kill you on the spot. I would pick wisely, Skayon , and soon." It was then that Lexa heard the rustling of the bushes, the sound of deep voices.

Lexa swallowed and met the woman's gaze. "If I go will you leave my friends alone - for now? Until I talk to your Commander, at least."

The woman blinked.

"Please, they have done nothing wrong. They don't know what they are doing, they did not have a say of this mission. They were forced into it."

"You will go quietly, and do as I say?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I will leave your friends alone. I will not tell my team of your camp, either." She said, leaving Lexa with some peace of mind. "But I must warn you, I am no leader. If by chance they come across others, they may not be as lenient as I am."

"How will I stop them from attacking my people then? We mean no harm to yours."

"The faster we get to the Commander, the safer they will become."

Three men, twice their size, entered the clearing. They were wearing the same masks as she did, though this time they were holding out their weapons as if they expected Lexa to run. She wasn't that stupid, not this time. Not when she just came to an agreement.

They began to speak with the woman in the same language that sounded like they were talking under water. In quick, rasp voices. She could identify some words, like sky, but she couldn't form a coherent sentence in her head. It was all jumbled nonsense to Lexa.

"The Commander will decide the fate of you and your people, Skayon . Let's hope she deems you worthy enough to live."

The female Grounder pushed her forward, more gently this time now that she had an oral guarantee that Lexa would not run again. The others were watching Lexa warily but they respected her orders, walking along beside them and watching their surroundings. It wasn't until they came to the stream again that they finally started to relax again - which in their terms, meant that they started talking more freely, with the Mountain so far behind them.

Lexa guessed it had everything to do with that Mountain.

"Your name." Lexa nearly jumped out of her skin when the woman spoke, not expecting to talk on their journey. Short or long journey, she did not know. The woman let go of her arm and Lexa rubbed the prints away, already feeling a bruising coming.

"Lexa," she cleared her throat. "My name is Lexa Forrester."

The woman's lips twitched, as if she found her name funny. "That is quite the mouthful, Lexa Forrester ."

Lexa smiled slightly. "Where I come from we only use the beginning half. I go by Lexa." She nodded, intrigued. "What is your name?"

"Ai laik Costia kom Trikru, " Costia smiled for the first time, surprising Lexa out of her confusion over the spoken language.

"Costia?"

Costia clicked her tongue, nodding. "Very good, Skayon . Keep this up and the Commander won't kill you; she might just keep you as an entertaining pet."

Lexa's mood immediately dropped, and she scowled at the woman. She hated that the chuckled coming from the Grounder made cheeks heat up. Lexa crossed her arms, deciding that maybe it was best to stay quiet, for both their sakes.

The walk was going to be long on her, physically and mentally.

* * *

 **Yes, I am not dead. I just haven't put anything up on here.**

 **You can find most of my other works on AO3 under the same name, or hit me up on tumblr under heartthrob-lexa.**

 **Have an awesome day, homies!**


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